1) Field of the Invention
The present invention refers to an automatic reel unwinding apparatus for use in a machine for packaging products.
2) Description of Related Art
In apparatuses for packaging with a film of plastic material or similar, for use in the continuous packaging of large quantities, reels of film with a large diameter are used that must be arranged on a motorised unwinding rotation shaft as a suitable unwinding group. The large diameter reels on the one hand allow for a certain degree of autonomy of operation of the packaging machine, on the other hand they also involve a certain idle time for the entire packaging machine when the spent reel is changed for a new reel.
Moreover, it should be noted that the large diameter of the reel makes it difficult to manipulate. Indeed, in order to be able to proceed to the installation of a new reel on the rotation shaft, once the card core of the spent reel has been removed, an overhead travelling crane or alternatively a so-called loading mule is usually used. With these means it is also not very easy to carry out an immediate centering of the new reel with respect to the rotation shaft and the unwinder.
Therefore, in addition to the time required a suitable means must be used to carry out such a replacement.
This means that the production costs are increased, and large maneuvering spaces are needed to carry out replacement of the reel.
The suspended loads also create dangerous conditions at sites that otherwise could be safer if this type of problem was avoided.
The purpose of the present invention is to solve such problems, by carrying out a quick and safe replacement of the new reel of film, with minimum use of auxiliary lifting and manipulation means.
Another purpose of the invention is that of minimising the idle times so as to maintain the packaging machine at a high productivity.